Forbidden
by Lamia of the Dark
Summary: A bittersweet Turpin x Lovett pairing. At first, she figures she can use his interest in her to lure him to Sweeney's shop. But as she realizes how nice it is to have someone really pay attention to her, she starts to have feelings of her own. COMPLETE.
1. We Don't Know Just What We Swore

**DISCLAIMER: Sweeney Todd belongs to Stephen Sondheim.**

**A/N: This is the full-length version of Flash of the Forbidden. The chapter titles will all be song lyrics.**

-- Forbidden --

- Chapter 1: We Don't Know Just What We Swore -

Now that Johanna was locked away, Judge Turpin's wandering eye had fallen on Mrs. Lovett. Her shop had certainly gotten popular lately, he noticed. And the baker _was_ rather attractive. Of course, she had nothing near Johanna's beauty, but she was a pretty little thing in her own right.

And she was a widow, her husband long gone... She was probably lonely for the company of a man. There were rumors about her and that barber, but it wasn't as though anyone could say for sure that she and the barber were seeing each other. Turpin was willing to bet that the rumors were just rumors. And if there _was_ any truth to those rumors, surely Mrs. Lovett wouldn't choose some scruffy barber over the wealthy lord judge.

Of course, Mrs. Lovett was only all too horrified when Turpin began to show an interest in her. But she had to play along, pretend she was flattered by his attentions when he flirted with her. Because she had seen what happened to the women who rejected his advances.

At first she went along unwillingly, pretending she was shy when really she was just disgusted, going along with it only in order to protect herself. But soon she began to play the part in earnest, as though she were actually interested, because she'd realized it would be so much easier for Sweeney to have his revenge if she could lure the judge to the shop for him.

Sweeney himself was completely oblivious to the goings-on of Mrs. Lovett's personal life and therefore, having no knowledge of the baker's plans, continued to form his own plans which all depended on Anthony breaking Johanna out of the asylum and bringing her here. And when that happened, with Johanna as bait, he could easily get the judge to come here.

Then something happened that Mrs. Lovett hadn't counted on. She realized how nice it was to have someone actually pay attention when she was speaking. How nice it was to have an actual _conversation_. When was the last time she'd had one of those? She couldn't even remember. She'd been alone for so long that she was used to talking to herself. Being in a room with Sweeney was almost like being alone. She got about the same amount of response from the barber that she would if she were talking to the wall.

But with Judge Turpin, it was a different story. He seemed genuinely interested in the things she had to say. She was careful not to let anything slip about her and Sweeney's... um, business dealings. She never really told him anything important, just chattered on about her day and other inconsequential things.

Once she mentioned how she'd thought some daisies might cheer the shop up a bit, and the very next day Turpin brought her a bouquet of (you guessed it!) daisies.

Sweeney never asked where the flowers had come from. Which was just as well, seeing as Mrs. Lovett didn't want to have to invent some lie to tell him.

She'd gone into this venture planning to help Sweeney get his revenge, but now she found herself making excuses to keep the judge away from either of their shops...

**A/N: I know this chapter is straight description with no character interaction, but this is just the introductory chapter. Future chapters will have action and dialogue, along with all the angsty brooding.**


	2. I've Got Sunshine In A Bag

-- Forbidden --

- Chapter 2: I've Got Sunshine In a Bag -

Judge Turpin was rather pleased with himself. His relationship with the baker had got off to a rocky start, but she seemed to be warming up to him now. Perhaps she was just not used to receiving the attentions of such a fine and cultured gentleman as himself? That must be it. She was probably used to fending off the groping hands of rowdy drunks in her shop, and had very little experience with polite company.

He told himself this as he dressed for the evening. He had a date with Mrs. Lovett. Tonight, after she closed her shop, she was going to join him for dinner at his house. He'd offered to come by and pick her up, but she'd declined. She was odd in that respect. Unlike other ladies, she made it perfectly clear that she could take care of herself and seemed to resent any implication that she needed looking after.

Or it could be that she just didn't want Sweeney to catch sight of him. He had no idea of the barber's intentions toward him, of course, but there _were_ rumors about Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Todd...

But those were just rumors. Of course she would choose _him_ over some scruffy barber! What lady would not? Only a fool... like that poor stupid Lucy Barker...

Turpin was still fussing over the small details of his appearance when a maid knocked on his bedroom door and announced, "Mrs. Lovett has just arrived, sir, and is waiting in the parlor."

He went down to meet her and the two awkwardly exchanged polite greetings. It seemed they were both nervous about her being in his home.

"My dear," Turpin said, "I have something for you." He'd been planning to give it to her after dinner, but he decided that now would be a good time to attempt to break the tension between them, so that they could actually enjoy their evening together.

The judge fetched a small velvet pouch out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket. From the pouch, he poured into his hand a bright yellow jewel suspended from a delicate silver chain.

Mrs. Lovett gasped as he held it out for her to see. She had never owned anything so fine!

"What kind of stone is that?" she asked curiously. She hadn't seen a lot of jewels in her unpriviledged life. "I only know that it isn't a diamond or a ruby..." The mention of rubies made her think guiltily of Sweeney. Of how she was betraying him. Not his _love_, because he certainly didn't feel way about her, but his _trust_. Because she was his partner in crime, and here she was sneaking around with his enemy behind his back... But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside. She would jump off that bridge when she came to it.

"It's a topaz," Turpin responded, completely unaware of the baker's inner turmoil. "Shall I put it on for you?"

The thought of wearing such a thing - she couldn't help the excited grin that stole over her face. She turned her back to him so that he could fasten the pendant around her throat.

-tbc-

**A/N: Long time, no chapters. This is what happens when you write too many stories at the same time. The bridge line - I know the real saying is "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." But I tend to say "I'll jump off that bridge when I come to it." instead.**


	3. The Red Filters Through

**A/N: I would have posted this two days ago, but the stupid login/submission error wouldn't let me.**

- Forbidden -

- Chapter 3: The Red Filters Through -

It was early in the morning, too early for either of their shops to actually be open yet, but they were both up. Mrs. Lovett was getting a head start on making the day's pies. Sweeney was sitting at one of the inside tables, doing nothing, his gaze fixed at a central point on Mrs. Lovett's chest.

Glancing up from her work, she noticed his fixation.

"What are you looking at, love?" she asked. Not that she really _minded_ if he looked. But he was blatantly staring...

"That necklace..." Sweeney answered slowly, shattering any illusion the baker may have had that he might have been admiring her physical assets.

Mrs. Lovett had been wearing her new pendant all the time. She hadn't taken it off once since the day Judge Turpin had put it on her. But it had been weeks since then and Sweeney had never commented on it before now. Was he really so unobservant that he hadn't even _noticed_ she was wearing a different pendant than usual until today?

"What about it?" she asked apprehensively. Had he realized that the jewel was something far more expensive than she could have ever hoped to afford even with the shop raking in money lately? "Cost a pretty penny, it did," she added nervously. She refrained from mention _who_ it had cost said pretty penny.

Sweeney lifted his gaze to meet her eyes and remarked almost casually, "Looks like piss."

"It's topaz," Mrs. Lovett said defensively. "It's _supposed_ to be that color!"

"Why didn't you get a ruby?"

The question was so different from any response she might have expected, that it took Mrs. Lovett a moment to process it. Then she exploded.

"You! And your stupid bloody obsession with rubies! _Go! Upstairs! Where you can at least pretend you're doing something even remotely useful!_"

Sweeney stared. Was she seriously chasing him out of the pie shop for insulting her taste in jewelry?

He got the message loud and clear when her rolling pin bounced painfully off his shoulder, leaving a streak of flour and less-identifiable substances on his sleeve. He hastily departed, in case she decided to throw the _knife_. She wasn't usually this moody around him. He supposed it was probably just "that time of the month" and didn't think any more about it.

And she was left standing there, wondering where the sudden burst of rage had come from. Usually _he_ was the one losing his temper, resorting to violence, and ordering _her_ out of the room.

She still loved Sweeney... right?

- tbc -

**Reviews are love.**


	4. It Was a Broken Dream

**A/N: So it's been a year and a half since I last updated this. I was trying my damnedest to get the new chapters of "Burn Now" "Bitter Echo" and "When All Is Said And Done" written, and ended up being inspired to write this story instead. Sometimes I hate my brain.**

- Forbidden -

- Chapter 4: It Was a Broken Dream Right From the Start -

And then came the day that Anthony liberated Johanna from the asylum and Sweeney Todd sprung his trap...

Mrs. Lovett had just thrown the old beggar woman (_Lucy_) into the oven and was going back for the beadle, when the judge dropped down the trapdoor. He looked up at her with a pleading expression, clutching at her skirt, tried to say someting but was prevented from speaking by his slit throat...

She screamed.

And then Turpin was dead, and Sweeney was there - covered head to toe in blood, razor open in his hand - asking her, "Why did you scream?"

She looked up at him with wide horror-stricken eyes. Her lips moved as if she were trying to speak but the only sound that escaped was a faint whimper.

Sweeney broke his gaze away from hers and quickly located the cause of her distress. He knelt next to her and cut away the part of her skirt that was still clenched in Turpin's fist. He flipped the razor shut and slid it into his pocket as he stood.

"He's dead now," Sweeney said softly. "He can't hurt you."

Even so, she still seemed to be frozen in place from shock.

Forgetting that he was completely covered in blood, Sweeney reached out and pulled Mrs. Lovett against him in what was meant to be a comforting embrace. She remained stiff for another moment before leaning limply against him and breaking into hysterical tears.

-end-

**A/N: I was going to add an epilogue, but I decided that this works fine as the final chapter.**

**Reviews are love.**


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